A method for the manufacture of a housing for a ball joint, particularly for a vehicle's tie rods, and a housing for a ball joint manufactured using this method is known from patent DE 195 36 035 AI, forming this patent family. The housing has an adapted inner space to house the joint ball of a ball pin. The housing, which initially is open on both sides, is later closed on one side with a cover, whereby there is a shaped section on the upper edge of the housing for attaching the cover. The housing is closed with a cover once the ball pin, together with a bearing shell that houses the joint ball, has been placed in the inner chamber of the housing. The pin portion of the ball pin extends out of the opening in the housing on the side opposite the cover. A sealing bellows is provided to seal the inner joint components, whereby a marginal area of this sealing bellows forms a seal with the contact area of the surface of the outer casing of the housing. In the case of the solution known from DE 195 36 035 AI, the side with the opening for the passage of the pin portion of the ball pin has a contact shoulder, on which the bearing shell placed inside is supported.
In addition, DE 34 19 871 A1 has a housing to receive a joint ball, which, as a blank, has an interior space for receiving the joint ball that has a spherical shape on one side and, on the side opposite this spherical shape, an internal circular-cylindrical bead. After the joint ball is inserted, the beaded edge of the housing is deformed radially inward by a cold forming method using a pressing tool so that the joint ball is fixed in the housing. In the case of this solution, subsequent heat treatment is needed in order to restore the mobility of the ball joint. The manufacturing cost for producing such a ball joint is significant.
Also known from DE 197 55 020 A1 is a ball joint engineered as an axial ball joint, the housing of which has an inner chamber adapted for housing a joint ball of a ball pin as well as an opening to allow the passage of the pin portion of the ball pin connected to the joint ball. A bearing shell is inserted in the inner chamber of the housing, which receives the joint ball. The bearing shell and the housing have an open-sided, circular-cylindrical geometry with a constant wall thickness. After inserting the bearing shell, and the joint ball on the ball pin inserted therein, into the housing, the existing opening in the housing is deformed, to a limited degree, in the direction of the middle of the housing in order to prevent the ball pin from loosening itself from the housing, and the bearing shell is brought up against the surface of the joint ball.
The deformation of what was originally a circular-cylindrical housing into an area, which abuts the edge portion of a sealing bellows after completion of the ball joint, was recognized as a disadvantage of this solution. This may result in damage to the permanent, fixed position of the sealing bellows resulting in a risk that moisture and contaminates may penetrate into the inner joint parts.